Tareq Salahi To Crash Virginia Governor Race

This November 24, 2009 photo shows Tareq Salahi (R) and Michaele Salahi arriving for the State Dinner in honour of India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Bookseller's area of the White House in Washington, DC. The US Secret Service is checking into it's own security procedues after the Virginia couple, not on the guest list, still managed to slip into the first State Dinner of the Obama administration. AFP PHOTO / Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)This Nov. 24, 2009 photo shows Tareq Salahi, right, and Michaele Salahi arriving for the State Dinner in honor of India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Bookseller's area of the White House in Washington, D.C. (credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — White House gate crasher Tareq Salahi says he will run for governor of Virginia.

He plans to file as a Republican and it comes days after another GOP candidate for governor, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, sued Salahi and his winery. The suit claims they cheated customers who bought winery tours.

And the northern Virginia vintner’s declaration of candidacy is meaningless until Jan. 1. State law prohibits the State Board of Elections from accepting the declarations until the year in which the elections are scheduled, said board senior official Chris Piper.

Salahi and his wife, Michaele, created concern about the Secret Service’s effectiveness when they showed up uninvited at a White House state dinner in 2009, and were able to meet President Barack Obama. The notoriety landed Michaele a role in the reality television series “Real Housewives of D.C.,” which was canceled after one season.

In more attention grabbing last year, Tareq Salahi reported that his wife had been abducted. But she had actually run off with Neal Schon, the lead guitarist for Journey. A $50 million lawsuit Tareq filed against Michaele over the breakup was dismissed.

Online celebrity site TMZ first reported Salahi’s declaration for governor.